


Friend of a Friend

by bizzylizzy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 02:39:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14559042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bizzylizzy/pseuds/bizzylizzy
Summary: Daichi is not sure how he feels about Kenma. Kenma has the same reservations.





	Friend of a Friend

**Author's Note:**

> First foray into Haikyuu!!? Oops?

Jealous doesn't fit the way Kenma makes Daichi feel. It may be that he isn't sure what to call what Kenma makes him feel because he doesn't know how he feels about Kenma. Kenma seems like such an antithesis of most setters Daichi has known. It's likely too simplistic to define someone by their volleyball position, especially since Kenma doesn't play anymore, but.

Kenma and Kuroo act a little like siblings, a lot like best friends, and very much like teammates. It all gets mixed and distilled into something almost intimate enough to be called romantic, but half a step sideways to that. No, it's just as intimate as a romance, more so in many cases, but it exists as its own undefinable thing. Kenma is no doubt more important to Kuroo than Daichi, but in a way that makes them hard to compare.

"I don't think Kenma likes me," Daichi admits. His head is on Kuroo's stomach. Kuroo is shuffling flashcards. It's after rough practice and drills and showers when there is nothing left inside either of them but a need for sleep. Daichi's been thinking he'll get up for the past twenty minutes, but he hasn't.

"It takes Kenma a while to get used to people, and you're intimidating," Kuroo explains without looking away from the cards. "And he doesn't think you like him." The question hangs, unsaid. Does Daichi like Kuroo's best friend and roommate? It is more important than whether or not Daichi likes Kuroo's family (which he does). Kuroo's parents are easy to like, though. They have a predefined roll, but Kenma. . .

"I like him." Kenma mostly exists as an odd puzzle, but Daichi does not have to understand Kenma in the ways he understands Kuroo. Still, it keeps him from being sure exactly how he feels about Kenma.

Kuroo huffs. "There is a ringing endorsement."

Daichi twists his head enough to give Kuroo a black stare. Kuroo taps the note cards on Daichi's forehead. "Be useful and help me run through these." Daichi sighs, but takes the cards. He's getting top marks in chemistry thanks to Kuroo, and he isn't actually going to get up any time soon.

Daichi does think, sometimes, that Kenma might be jealous or just resentful of Daichi consuming such a large amount of Kuroo's time. Daichi tries not to be over at Kenma and Kuroo's place too often, sensing his presence intrudes on Kenma's peace of mind and sense of personal space. They circle and exist like an alley cat and a crow trying to share the same alley. The same trashcan.

Daichi spends several weeks thinking of Kuroo as a trash can. Suga is also more than delighted with the comparison. Suga tends to be cheeky and low-key cruel. All that soft angellic fluff hides some clever wickedness that has always made him a great confident and friend.

Kenma and Kuroo's relationship is not like anything Daichi has with his friends. Maybe it is because Daichi doesn't have that life long best friend but maybe it's just Kuroo and Kenma click and hold in ways most people don't or can't. They are complimentary opposites. The longer Daichi watches the interactions go on the more he's amazed by them and the more fascinating it all is.

"Yo, we're taking the train to meet up with Akaashi and Bokuto and whoever else Bokuto is bringing. You should come," Kuroo leaned around the door frame to Kenma's room, not quite in the room, not outside of it, just leaning on the barrier.

Daichi misses Kenma's reply, but Kuroo laughs and steps into the room. More words pass back and forth, and then Kuroo practically pushed the former Nekoma setter out of the room minutes later. Kenma looked apathetically aggrieved. His gaze caught on Daichi's face, on the half smile there, and Kenma looks down and away.

As they travel, one would think Kenma and Kuroo were the couple. Kuroo and Kenma move in sync, Kenma close enough to Kuroo to be absent minded and watch the crowd but still benefiting from the way people step aside for Kuroo's height and physique (and hair). Kuroo and Daichi are not the most physically affectionate in public. They stand near each other, but not so obviously together. Sometimes they hold hands, but they are most often looking and talking and jabbing at each other with words.

Besides, Kuroo's hands _sweat_.

Daichi actually ends up walking behind Kuroo and Kenma on the way to the park. He catches himself up in analyzing the way they move until Kuroo glances back, eyebrow quirked, half a question in the turn of his mouth. Daichi lengthens his stride to catch up. He jams his shoulder into Kuroo's arm. Kenma glances sideways at Daichi as he steps up, but glances away. No one says anything.

It seemed inevitable to Daichi that they would end up playing volleyball. More than half of them have taken volleyball into their university careers, but Kenma looks mildly put out. It's all about reading the subtle changes in his half hidden face. He will play because he is here and it isn't that hot, but he won't act excited. Kuroo may be made to pay in blood or cash later, but Kenma will play.

"I'll play with Akaashi and Konoha," Kuroo says, as if it's settled. He grins. "We'll mix things up." He displays a shit eating grin that says he is up to something. Daichi finds his own dark smirk smeared across his face. Nevermind this puts Bokuto, Kenma, and Daichi on the much shorter side of the net. Between Bokuto's power and Daichi's receives they may be all right.

"Ne, ne, what's it like being on the opposite side of the net from your boyfriend?" Bokuto asks, too much energy. He's high right now, but Daichi remembers that might not last. Maybe the game won't last long enough for Bokuto to hit a slump. 

"I'm more comfortable trying to beat him than work with him," Daichi admits. They don't often get court time together at the university. There are too many good senior players on the team for that.

Bokuto vibrates energy and one liners at Kuroo, while Kenma is flexing his fingers as if there's something wrong with them or he's gauging their strength. Daichi steps over, watching the taunting instead of Kenma.

"Do you have a plan?" Daichi asks in a low voice. Kenma actually looks at Daichi directly.

"Between the two of us we can fool Kuroo about seventy-five percent of the time." It doesn't sound like a guess. "You'll have to save the rest." And Bokuto will function as their brute force canon, or about so with Kenma trying to guide him. Kenma no doubt has files on everyone touching the court. Daichi trusts him to guide them. Kuroo always did.

By now Daichi is used to several different setters from the university team. Kenma's sets are these odd little sly things that come into Daichi's range in a floating manner. They aren't direct attacks like Kageyama's sets always were, but Daichi can manage. Kenma gives him enough space for autonomy, but it's a struggle right up until the last spike ricochets off Kuroo's block and dings a passing toddler in the head.

The game breaks up, and Daichi and Kuroo steps back to let the more reputable members smooth things out. Which is...Akaashi, although Bokuto tries to help. 

Daichi glances at Kuroo. "I know how Kenma plays volleyball."

Kuroo glances down at Daichi. "It's called bonding time, Sawamura." And it's then that Daichi realizes how important it is to Kuroo than Daichi and Kenma get along.

Not that Daichi and Kuroo get along all the time. They tease and they fight and all this time together has shown Daichi there's a huge difference between Kuroo's normal shit talking and Kuroo angry or hurt. Yesterday Daichi got a huge dose of that, justly so, and has been stewing in it.

And doing his best not to think about the phone he's left at Kuroo's apartment.

"Here."

Like a ghost from a horror movie, Kenma has appeared to hand Daichi his phone.

"Thank you." Daichi is more than a little shocked. "Did Kuroo...?"

Kenma makes a low noise in his throat. "No. He's still angry with you." Daichi catches the quick glance up. There's some kind of question there.

Daichi takes the phone with a sigh. "He probably should be." Daichi doesn't know how or if he wants to apologize yet.

"Exams make him upset."  
Daichi almost falls out of his chair in shock when Kenma slouches into the seat opposite him. He's playing a game, but Daichi's pretty sure that game is one Kenma plays like other people fidget.

"Yeah..." Daichi agrees. "I sort of provoked him a little." Kenma glances at Daichi over the game console as if to say "no really?" Daichi is getting some sass from Kenma. He feels almost honored.

"He does like you," Kenma adds. This is an out of place thing to say about Daichi's boyfriend, but, from Kenma, Daichi thinks he gets it. This is Kenma, in his way, checking up on them.

"I kind of like him too most days," Daichi shrugs. "Do you guys have a favorite take-out place? He's probably not eating enough."

"Protein shakes," Kenma confirms. He stands up. "I'll text you." Daichi then discovers that Kenma had not only fully charged Daichi's phone, but has put his number in there. A few minutes later he receives the text with Kuroo's favorite dish and take-out place, and he has to text Kuroo to get Kenma's favorite dish.

The next day, Kuroo sits down beside Daichi after volleyball practice. There's a hard silence for a few moments.

"You fight dirty."

Daichi snorts. "Coming from you, I'm taking that as a compliment."

"I take it back, _Kenma_ fights dirty, but you're not any better than he is." Kuroo settles back against the wall as if he had been expecting to be moving on quickly.

"He likes you," Kuroo adds.

"Is this before or after I got him food?" Daichi asks dryly.

"Before." Kuroo nudges Daichi with a shoulder. Daichi nudges him back.

"You know Kenma said the same thing about you," Daichi said.

"That I liked him? I should hope so..." Kuroo has relaxed. Daichi can guess the exams are going well. They always do.

"No, that _you_ like me," Daichi jabs Kuroo's side. It makes Kuroo "whuff" but the man is made of steel. "I think he's worried I'll break your heart."

"He's probably afraid if you get too mad you'll pluck out my eyes," Kuroo counters, but there's a sticky softness to his smile. "But he's right. I do like you."

"Before or after I bought you dinner?" Daichi shoots back.

"How about after the fifth time Nekoma handed Karasuno's ass back to them. I liked the look of you on your knees." All softness if gone from Kuroo's smile. Daichi feels his own grin sharpening. It's about time for some practice matches, and if Daichi asks the right people he can have Kuroo on the opposite side of the net.

"I think it's time someone deflated that ego of yours before your head bursts," Daichi says, and then realizes he has set up terrible puns and innuendos for weeks. He slaps Kuroo with his sweat soaked towel.

"No. Do not. Kuroo."

Kuroo's grin just gets wider and wider and Daichi throws the towel at Kuroo before stalking off to the practice courts.

Daichi cannot shake the grin off of his own face as he hears Kuroo laughing.

Daichi may not be one hundred percent sure how he feels about Kenma, but he had no doubts about his feelings for Kuroo.


End file.
